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The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Wednesday afternoon welcomed its two newest members, second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Bert Blyleven, swelling to 205 the number included on the exclusive list of all-time baseball greats.

The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 24, at the museum in upstate New York, the mythical home of baseball’s first game. Also being welcomed into the Hall in July, as announced earlier, will be former Jays GM Pat Gillick and long-time Montreal Expos broadcaster Dave Van Horne.

Alomar barely missed gaining entry last year, his first time on the ballot, collecting 73.7 per cent of the more than 500 votes cast by 10-year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The requirement for election is 75 per cent. The second time proved lucky. Alomar starred for the Jays from 1991-95, collecting two World Series rings, and is expected to become the first player to enter the Hall of Fame wearing a Jays cap when his bronze plaque is unveiled at the ceremony.

“The fans deserve that,” Alomar said. “I want to dedicate that to the fans. I personally want to be inducted as a Blue Jay and I hope that the Hall of Fame will give me that opportunity to give the fans a gift I would love to give the people of Toronto. I was proud to wear that uniform. I was proud to go every day and play all my best for the game of baseball so you can enjoy every moment that I play.”

Four other Hall of Famers spent portions of their careers with the Jays but entered the Hall wearing different caps: Phil Niekro (Braves), Rickey Henderson (A’s), Dave Winfield (Padres) and Paul Molitor (Brewers).

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Alomar, in a starry 17-year career with the Padres, Jays, Orioles, Indians, Mets, White Sox and Diamondbacks, compiled a career .300 average, with 474 steals, 210 home runs, 2,724 hits and an impressive .814 OPS. The switch-hitting second baseman redefined the position and became an innovator defensively on artificial turf. He won 10 Gold Gloves — an all-time high for second basemen — four Silver Sluggers, was named to 12 all-star teams and finished in the top five in MVP voting five times, including three straight years from 1991-93. He was recognized by his peers as the best player in the AL.

Blyleven was in his 14th year of eligibility with only one more chance remaining after this. His candidacy had been gaining significant momentum in recent years due to some convincing statistical breakdowns by SABR members that removed weight from his win total, compiled playing mostly with mediocre teams, and demonstrated how his others numbers stacked up well against pitchers already enshrined.

Blyleven, in 22 seasons with the Twins, Indians, Rangers, Pirates and Angels, compiled a 287-250 record, but more impressively logged 242 complete games and 60 shutouts in 685 starts. His 3,701 strikeouts rank fifth in major-league history. Of the top nine pitchers in career strikeouts, all six who have previously become eligible are enshrined at Cooperstown. Now make that seven.

“I’d like to thank the baseball writers of America for, I’m going to say, finally getting it right,” Blyleven said of his long wait. “Yeah, it’s been frustrating over the years watching the percentages sometimes go down, to steadily go up. Last year it was a phenomenal year, because I went from 62 to 74.2 (per cent), five votes short. Still, I didn’t anticipate going in this year.”

Alomar joins the great Roberto Clemente as the only Puerto-Rican born players to be elected to the Hall in by the writers. Fellow Puerto Rican Orlando Cepeda was selected by the Veterans Committee in 1999. Some 111 players have been voted in by the BBWAA since 1936.

“Those are big names in Puerto Rico,” Alomar reflected. “Roberto Clemente was a special person. He did so many great things for the Puerto Rican people. Orlando Cepeda, who waited so long to be inducted. To be beside these guys is an accomplishment.”

Alomar increased his vote total by 126 votes, tying Luis Aparicio’s 1982 mark for the biggest improvement from one year to the next since 1968. He received 523 votes, 90 per cent of the 581 ballots submitted by BBWAA members. Blyleven finally broke through by compiling just under 80 per cent of the vote.

Now the man banging on the door is shortstop Barry Larkin with 62 per cent. He was followed by Jack Morris, Lee Smith, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Edgar Martinez. Seventeen of the 33 candidates received more than the 5 per cent required to remain on the ballot, but it was Dave Parker’s 15th and final season, so he will now be handed over to the Veterans Committee. Perhaps the most surprising results were for Rafael Palmeiro (11 per cent) and Juan Gonzalez (5.2 per cent).

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